Hydrodrome, hydroaeroplane, and the like



A. G. BELL AND F. W. BALDWIN. HYDRODROME, HYDROAEROP LANE, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 7, I920.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, or wAsnIne'roN, DISTRICT or COLUMBIA, AND

FREDERICK W. BALDWIN, OF BADDEGK, NQVA.

SCOTIA, CANADA.

HYDBDDROME, HYDRd AEROPLANE, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

Application filed May 7, i920. Serial no. 379,477.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, a citizen of The UnitedStates of America, and a resident of Washington, District of Columbia,and FREDERICK W. BALDWIN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and aresident of Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Hydrodromes,Hydroaeroplanes, and the like, whichinvention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention relates to hydrodromes, hydroaeroplaness and thelike, employing' submerged hydrofoils, and particularly is an improvedconstruction of the hydrofoil sets.

Heretofore, difliculty has been experienced and damage sustained whenhydrodromes and the like were travelling at high speed through thewater, by the submerged portions of the struts and blades of thehydrofoil sets hitting obstacles, such as logs, seaweed, and the like;and the object of the present invention 'is to provide a constructionwhich will readily ride over and clear such obstacles and which is soshaped that the shock due to the fouling of such obstacles is reduced toa minimum.

The invention .will be better understood by reference to theaccompanying drawings, illustrating one expression of the inventiveidea, and wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view of the hull of a hydrodromeembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and

F i'g. 3 is a modification.

Referring to the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate likeparts, 5 is any usual or suitable hull, and 6 and 7 are a pair oftransverse rearwardly extending beams projecting from said hull or floatstructure. These beams carry the hydrofoil sets, one on each side of themedial fore and aft line of the craft. A third set of hydrofoils A,preferably of a construction hereinafter described, is mounted on avertical axis at the rear of the hull in the medial fore and aft line ofthe craft, and is utilized for steering purposes. The three sets ofhydrofoils act to support the hull or float structure 5 and associatedparts during the planing action.

The two beam sets of hydrofoils are identical and each preferablycomprises a pair of rearwardly and downwardly extendmg strut members 8and" 9 which are connected at their upper ends to the beam 6 on one sideof the device and, to the beam 7 on the other side of the device. Aswill be clearly observed from Fig. 1, these struts are arranged indifferent longitudinal planes.

The struts 8 and 9 carry a series of hydro-.

foil blades 10, which latter are secured to the struts in any suitableor desired manner and act to support the craft during the planingaction. These blades project outwardly and rearwardly, the strut 8 ofeach set supporting each blade near its inner extremity and the strut 9of each set supportmg each blade near its outer extremity. These bladesare normally arranged at the desired angle of incidence and the sets arepreferably pivoted in any desired manner so that this angle may bechanged to meet changed conditions. Preferably, also, the sets aremounted so that they may be swung laterally to alter the dihedral angleof the blades 10. The objects and advantages of such a construction havebeen fully described and claimed in our copending application Serial No.37947 6,fi.led May 7, 1920.

The improved hydrofoil sets herein could be similarly mounted-and swungor mounted and swung in any other desired or suitable fashion.

It is clined struts 8 and 9, and also the rearwardly projectinghydrofoil blades 10, would strike any obstacle a glancing blow and1wlguld readily clear seaweed, logs, or the The hydrofoil set A, whichis mounted at the rear of the machine in the medial fore and aft linethereof and is utilized for steering purposes, is in efi'ect acombination or joining of the two beam sets. In this instance, threerearwardly inclined. struts 11, 12 and 13 are employed, and two seriesof rearwardly projecting hydrofoil blades are carried thereby. Theblades of one series are indicated by the numeral 14, and

the blades of the other series by the numeral 15. The outer ends of theblades 14 are suitably connected to the strut 11 and the inner ends ofsaid blades 14 are suitably connected to the strut 12. The outer ends ofthe blades 15 are similarly connected to the strut 13 and the inner endsthereof to the strut 12. If desired, the blades 14 and 15 pointed outthat the rearwardly inv may be formed integrally and connected in anysuitable or desired manner to said struts.

If desired, hydrofoil sets like A could be used for the beam sets oneach side of the medial fore and aft line of the craft, such sets beingsuitably suspended from beams 6 and '7 or other suitable means. Ilydrofoil blades shaped and arranged substantially as shown in Fig. 3have been found to be selfelearing to a high degree. As there shown, theadvance edges of the blades 16 converge to a point at the front. Theseblades are carried by struts 17. 18 and 19 supported from beams 6 and6'.

The chance of difficulty by reason of fouled seaweed, for example, orthe danger of damage by reason of the submerged portions of the strutsor hydrofoil blades hitting an obstruction, is minimized by reason ofthe fact that all of the submerged elements are inclined or obliquelyarranged.

It will be understood that, while on the drawings only the conventionalhull of a hydrodrome is shown, the invention is equally applicable tohydro-aeroplanes.

While, for the purpose of illustration, one mechanical embodiment of theinventive idea is herein shown and described in detail, the invention isnot limited thereto, but the inventive idea is susceptible of variousexpressions within the limits of the appended claims.

What is claimed is In a device of the character described. thecombination of a rearwardly inclined strut and a plurality of hydrofoilblades carried thereby, said blades projecting outwardly from andrearwardly of said device.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair ofrearwardly inclined struts and a plurality of hydrofoil blades carriedthereby, said blades projecting outwardly from and rearwardly of saiddevice and each strut supporting each blade near one end thereof.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a floatstructure, a rearwardly inclined beam projecting from said structure, arearwardly inclined strut extending downward from said beam, andrearwardly projecting hydrofoil blades carried by said strut.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair ofsubstantially parallel rearwardly inclined struts, and hydrofoil bladescarried thereby.

In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair ofsubstantially parallel rearwardly inclined struts arran ed "in differentlongitudinal planes, and by rofoil blades carried thereby.

6. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a pair of hydrofoil sets,

one arranged on each side of the medial fore and aft line of the craft,each set comprising a real-wardly inclined strut and a plurality ofhydrofoil blades carried thereby, said blades projectin outwardly fromand rearwardly of said device.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair ofhydrofoil sets, one arranged on each side of the medial fore and aftline of the craft, each set comprising a plurality of real-wardlyinclined struts and a plurality of hydrofoil blades carried thereby,said blades projecting outwardly from and rearwardly of said device andeach strut supporting each blade near one end thereof.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination of. a floatstructure, a rearwardly inclined beam projecting outwardly from eachside of said structure, a rearwardly inclined strut extending downwardlyfrom each beam, and rearwardly projecting hydrofoil blades carried byeach strut.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a pair ofhydrofoil sets, one arranged on each side of the medial fore and aftline of the craft, each set comprising apair of substantially parallelrearwardly inclined struts, and hydrofoil blades carried thereby.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of a floatstructure, a pair of hydrofoil sets, one arranged on each side of themedial fore and aft line of the structure. each set comprising a pair ofrearwardly inclined struts arranged in different longitudinal planes,and hydrofoil blades carried thereby.

11. In a device of the character described, the combination of aplurality of rearwardly inclined struts and a plurality of sets ofrearwardly inclined hydrofoil blades carried thereby.

12. In a device of the character described, the combination of aplurality of rearwardly inclined struts arranged in differentlongitudinal planes, and a plurality of sets of hydrofoil blades carriedthereby.

13. In a device of the character described, the combination of aplurality of rearwardly inclined struts arranged in differentlongitudinal planes, and a plurality of sets of hydrofoil blades carriedthereby, the advance edges of said blades converging to a point at thefront.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL. FREDERICK W. BALDWIN.

